162. OKINAWA KONNICHWA!

The Japanese Government is in a dilemma regarding the continued presence of America's military in Okinawa. But they are having a serious rethink with North Korea's belligerence and China's ambition in the East China Sea with regards to some tiny uninhabited islands and rocks - the Senkaku Islands (Diaoyu Islands to the Chinese)

The US airbase viewed from a distance - built above road level...































As a travel destination, Okinawa has nothing much to offer - if you're a theme park fiend, you may enjoy several parks.... if you don't mind the distance between them. If you're into beaches, theirs are lovely, blue and green and clear waters with rugged coastlines and much marine life. But how often does one see Asians baking in the sun on any beaches anywhere? 
Somehow, I never came across any diving or snokeling companies - Bali and Thailand's are better developed...even the Philippines and East Malaysia have a thriving diving/snokeling industry...
If you're into war memorials - be aware that they glorify their soldiers, their Emperor or their Commanders or their Government of the day...the 'enemies' started it first...

This was the Ryukyu Kingdom before so they prefer to be known as Okinawans with a Ryukyu culture. The dancing is Ryukyu style - looks Nihonjin to me! They want their own identity I suppose... The chain of islands is known as the Ryukyu Islands

 
This is a peasant harvest dance - the main source of income and livelihoods would be farming and fishing. They are building up the tourism sector, most visitors are from China and Hong Kong - came across a Russian group - these would be their closest neighbours...

'Demolishing' the tuna wasn't fun to watch although the young man did it expertly with a flourish

The cleanliness of their public facilities is legendary. This loo is in a fish market in a old building - it was spotless, very dry, odourless...

Like Hawaii, their hibiscus come in a burst of many colours and textures. The pineapple is sweet and juicy, there's guava, starfruit, bananas, sugarcane - very tropical

Okinawa sits on the same latitude zone as Hawaii. As American influence is strong here, they are very much into baseball, Hawaiian floral shirts and summer dresses are in the more touristy shops and is the uniform of choice in the service industry. The Okinawans are however not that hot about the presence of the Americans. It's a case of tolerating them. 

A touch of whimsy

The Japanese like mascots, the Okinawans have their own - a strange mix of lion and dog, the Shisa - looks like the Fu Dog or the Pi Chu. Variations of this image are seen in some Asian countries 

This one looks like it came over from Bali...

This one from Sesame St perhaps!

 It acts as a Guardian...so it's practically everywhere...

 

This Resort has extra protection...

Tsunami warning signs are a common sight on the beaches...

This simply means No Footwear

When you get uncivilised hordes coming by the busloads...

After the violence and bloodshed, to assuage the conscience, a peace memorial comes up in a tranquil setting - the grounds were lovely with its avenue of trees -
Every place I've gone to, similar peace memorials commemorate the same events - killing and destruction - such irony - if there's one thing man has learned from history - they've not learned anything...

Gentle giants - it's criminal to confine such beautiful, harmless creatures to a small space. It has become politically incorrect to do this for commercial show. Singapore gave up its underwater tank a few years ago.
At least before they close this one day, I get to see so many species in one place - when Singapore had its tank, I never visited...

 The ones that didn't get away...

These are very large scallop shells strung up as a restaurant's decor

In these 2 small tanks these exhibits were about the most interesting. Fresh and alive crawling sea cucumber - it's an animal, not a vegetable - I think I prefer to look at them dry, gave me the heebie jeebies...
This long thingy below had a mouth like a leech - with suction cup and sharp fangs - the better to cling to you my dear! Definitely alien

  

What Okinawa is best known for - its azure waters and craggy coastlines

 

Very Chinese ancestral graves likely of wealthy families. The Chinese were here for a long while and left their mark. Being an island, many traders from all parts would have settled here. The Okinawans don't look like your typical Japanese, in fact, some looked really like typical islanders - tanned, large eyes, high nose bridges, bigger build...

If the Japanese Government isn't alert enough, the Chinese will move into Okinawa claiming that this was Chinese territory before

 

A war monument that had an underground tunnel where a 100+ navymen committed harakiri which makes them very loyal heros to be emulated. Unlikely their people will do that any more, unless you can consider it harakiri when some young people work themselves to death

Lovely wood and bamboo house opened to the elements. Somehow, that costume with the wide brimmed straw hat is always so mysterious, almost sinister when its full black!

This American family has the most eyecatching hairdos...

Life supports life - where there's rain and sun...life out of a rocky surface is possible...

        

                                    Spot Shisa...?

 











Buildings catch my eye everywhere I go - these look like something from the 60s as they have that retro look about them but well maintained. They still have overhead cables - how do they stay up during typhoons which hit Oki very often...the Japanese respect and accept Mother and her tantrums with equanimity and are thankful for rain for their crops and the fact that after the rains, the energy all around is charged anew and refreshed. Any damage after the storms they put it right as part of a day's work...so Zen

Typhoon alert - we were told to prepare for strong gales and wet weather but nothing ferocious happened - for that I was thankful that I could get out to explore...

My masterpiece tote...this is the fun part...

The stamps are coral stones - dyes are pressed onto the stamps using those fabric applicators.

These are extra large coral stamps used on fabric material

Poor pooches - they've a fur coat and most owners treat them like they're humans...The Dog Whisperer reminds us to stop that

Hole-in-wall shops are smaller than those in India!

The Naminoue Shrine has a vantage position which makes it so special - Like!

The water ritual when one visits any shrine in Japan...

Lunch is served as Spidey chews on a large fly which had been trapped for a while as it was partially eaten. His pantry has served him well


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~